Women dyeing their hands with henna during their menstrual period

Question

Is it permissble for women to put henna on their hands/nails during menstrual period? My wife has heard that women should not do this, can you please advise.

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible for a woman to put henna on her hands and
nails during her menstrual period and at other times. Indeed, a number of
the fuqaha’ regarded it as mustahabb for a woman to dye her hands with
henna at the time of her menses, because then she does not need to remove
the paste for the purpose of doing wudoo’.

It was narrated from ‘Alqamah that he used to tell his
womenfolk to put on henna during their menstrual period.

And it was narrated that ‘Ata’ said: It is mustahabb for a
woman to dye her hands with henna when she is menstruating.

See: Musannaf Ibn ‘Ali Shaybah, 1/144

It says in Mawaahib al-Jaleel, 1/200 (which is a
Maaliki book): Maalik was asked about a woman who is menstruating or junub
using henna on her hands. He said: Yes, that is the time that women used to
single out for that purpose, so that the dye would not be need to be removed
in order to do wudoo’ for prayers. End quote.

In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (2/283) it says: The
majority of fuqaha’ are of the view that it is permissible for a
menstruating women to use henna, because it was narrated that a woman asked
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about that, saying: Can a
menstruating woman dye (her hands) with henna? She said: We were with the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and we used to dye our
hands, and he did not tell us not to do that. And because it is narrated
that the womenfolk of Ibn ‘Umar used to dye their hands with henna when they
were menstruating. Ibn Rushd said: There is no difference of opinion that it
is permissible for women who are menstruating or junub to dye their hands
with henna, because the colour on the hands that results from it does not
impede the removal of janaabah and menses by means of ghusl when she does
ghusl. And there is no basis for the view that it is makrooh. End quote.

The hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah mentioned above was narrated by Ibn
Maajah (656) and classed as saheeh by al-Busayri in al-Zawaa’id and by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

To sum up: there is nothing wrong with applying henna during
one’s menses, and what your husband heard is not correct. There is no basis
for regarding that as makrooh, let alone haraam.